HASTINGS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7440, 10 August 1895, Page 3

HASTINGS.

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Elizabeth Miller Scott, who was recently sentenced to a fine of £4 7a for supplying the late Gerald Dowling with drink, he being a prohibited person, and failiug to pay the fine on a distress warrant being i—ued, was sentenced in default by the Justices who tried tha caae, Messrs B-lby and Hughes, to one month's imprisjnment This terra will ommenceon the expiration of throe mouths to whioh tha is sentenced upon another charge. Three names are mentioned as likely to be nominated to the Hastings Borough Council in the plaoe of the late Councillor Foreman. 'I imes may be dull in Hastings, but it is a fact that at least ten buildings are in cour.-e of erection within two minutes' walk of the s-ailway orossing. Mr Newbigin has erected an apparatus for roasting malt. The revolving oven is similar to those in use in Napier, whioh were imported from Australia. The oven, with ail the fittings, were made by Msssrs Jones and Solid, Hastings, and cost less than the imported article. Mr Newbigin speaks highly of the work. The committee of the Athenaeum file tho Napier papers for the benefit of the members, and do not object to the publio availing themselves of the privilege algo. it is of the highest impoitanoe at times to refer to a baok number, and the disappointment and lots ia often considerable. A resident had latoly occa»ijn to require to refer to the Tn__-BAP_ of a particular date a month or two since, only to find it missing from the file. In some cafes paragraphs have been cut »ut, and in other* half sheets torn away Mrs Price, the librarian, told me when I spoke to her about it that on one oooasion Bhe foand that three papers had been removed from the file. Perhape the deprudatora are unaware that it is a oriminal offenoe, but it i*. An important matter was before the Rabbit Board last Thursday. That the suppression of the rabbit nuisance is a nece sity must be conceded by everyone who studies the question. Flven in England it is a question of importance, although not to be compared in importance to the colonies In Hawke's Bay the peat has been kept at bay to a great extent, but only by the exertions of the Board and its Inspectors. The large owners have cheerfully assisted, as wall they might, and have promptly paid the tax speoially levied upon them. But a large area (about 9000 aores) is occupied by small ae_lers, and to most of these the Inspeotor is neoessarily a bugbear, while to the Board they are a constant harass and worry, lhey can't destroy the rabbits, and they are perpetually being prosecuted beoauee they can't. 1 hay have to earn their own living, and cannot afford to employ poopla to do the rabbiting. Last ye*r it cost the Board _70 over what they received back in these Oourt ca-S. A number of the settlers being tired of this, last year formed a society to jointly pay a man, but having no legal status, it did not work. -lie Board want the Government to allow them to make special district j wherefore a speci«l rate on the settlers must be made Tne Board will do the work, and so end the worry to all. But the Government havo refused to do this, fearing no doubt great opposition from the southern members. However, the Board has asked the chairman of the Hawke's Bay County Council, Mr Shrimpton, who ia going to Wellington, to urge upon Mr Ritchie to at least obtain power for Hawke's Bay for a special dutriot as the only way to put an end to the deadlock and friction between the Board aud tho settlers, and to prevent the whole district being overrun aud eaten up by these prolific

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